I thought that after almost two weeks of frost during the night that it would be difficult to find ‘summery’ flowers for my vase this week (I usually pick the flowers on Friday or Saturday to enjoy them at the weekend) but while some plants had succumbed to the frost others were still doing fine. I am sure this is because the temperatures haven’t actually fallen that low, just low enough for ice crystals to form but not below minus 1 or 2. Tender annuals often die at zero °C but a lot of other plants are hardy to minus 5 hence this being one of the categories in RHS books.
I could have picked some more Rosa Molineux but thought it would be nice to have a change so I picked Rosa Old Blush, the stems are very thin at present and all the flower heads are quite downward facing, which they’re not when they flower earlier in the year. Other flowers and foliage include Buddleia ‘Silver Anniversary’ and Teucrium fruticans and a lone Knautia.
Rosa Old Blush, Buddleia ‘Silver Anniversary’, Teucrium fruticans and a lone Knautia
Rosa Old Blush, Buddleia ‘Silver Anniversary’, Teucrium fruticans and a lone Knautia
Cathy’s new meme at Rambling in the garden is on Monday but I think that’s fine and not a cheat that I pick my flowers earlier. Do visit her Monday post to see what treasures she has found in her garden today and find what others are picking from their gardens in December.
Creating my own garden of the Hesperides 
I have had lots of rose buds in the garden but the frost has turned them all into limp, drooping failures. We have had some lovely sunny afternoons but no roses have succeeded in blooming for what seems like ages.
That’s very sad Amelia, here the mutabilis are still flowering their socks off.
You have made such a lovely vase of flowers, it looks quite summery. I don’t think my roses would be good enough to pick, most are brown after the frosts a week ago, the others don’t look very happy at all.
Thanks Pauline, Many of mine are brown tinged too but there were enough that were perfect to be able to pick them this week, I don’t know for how much longer though.
A lovely collection of muted colours – the pale pink flowers and silvery foliage are so pretty together.
Thanks Sarah, I like silver foliage with pink flowers in the garden too.
I love that rose ‘Old blush’, it is such a delicate shade. I wonder if the Buddleia ‘Silver Anniversary’ is hardy? It looks as if it might not be. What a lovely combination of colours in your arrangement.
Chloris
Buddleia ‘Silver Anniversary’ has survived minus 10°C in my garden with no problem. It will depend how much water your soil holds, it needs free draining soil.
I love the pale pink of your ‘Old Blush’, Christina – beautiful. Thanks also for pointing out Cathy’s blog and the Monday meme (I couldn’t get your link to work, but perhaps that was just me) – straight over there to look at her lovely mahonia. Oh, I do hope at some time in the future I can cut flowers in December too. This morning I took pics of some frosty ivy and poor rosebuds, but that was it. Thanks again – and keep the vases coming!
I’ll check the link, thanks for telling me.
Charming arrangement Christina. It’s nice your roses are still blooming. I like the idea of this new meme.
Yes, I think it is a good idea, makes you look at the blooms in a different way.
I’ve definitely exposed a weak area in my garden.. December! Nothing to pick at all. Must try harder next year!.
Maybe you have some good foliage that you could add some seed heads to?
Very pretty! I still haven’t tried Buddleia here but I think I may need to give it a try. ‘Silver Anniversary’ is a beauty.
Actually the Buddleia flowers go an unpleasant brown as they finish blooming, you might want to read the post about whether to keep it or throw it away. https://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/may-6th-2012-buddleia-to-keep-or-not-to-keep-that-is-the-question/
A fortnight of frosts, Christina? Brrr. What a lovely shade of pink rose – and nice to have little group of them to include. I have a single one I could have used, which I suppose would have been OK with greenery – perhaps next week…. I am intrigued by your Buddleia ‘Silver Anniversary’ and have just googled it – I am not usually a fan of buddleias but I rather like the elegance of this one. And I like the shape of little your vase with its flat base. Thanks so much for joining in – it is an interesting experience starting a new meme, and already it is generating interest even at this chilly time of year.
You might want to read this before deciding on this Buddleia. https://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/may-6th-2012-buddleia-to-keep-or-not-to-keep-that-is-the-question/
I’m glad your meme is a success, it is a nice idea and I’ll try to keep contributing.
Oh!!! I see what you mean…. I do like the fact it is a miniature variety though – and you still have yours more than 18 months after that post!
Yes I do still have it but I moved it from a place I saw it a lot to the slope where I only seem to notice it when it looks good, the brown flowers just aren’t so noticable there. the foliage is nice though so it depends where you want to put it and it does stay small.
Hi Christina – I have just popped over from Cathy’s blog to have a look at your contribution. Your roses are lovely – it is funny that we both used similar roses this week. Mine are also much smaller than they were in the summer but are an unknown variety that came with the garden. I need to google Rosa Old Bush to see if that could be their identity. I also have Buddleia ‘Silver Anniversary’ and it was a contender for this weeks foliage. I agree about the flowers and have moved mine this year to a less conspicuous place.
Julie
As I said above I think I might have miss-spelt the name of the rose. It should be Old Blush! Yes, I moved my Buddleia to the slope where I don’t notice the brown flowers.
A vase packed with flowers that would grace mid summer Christina but even more special because of the time of year. I like the shape and of the vase too – it enhances the flowers. Off to find out more about the rose which I had not heard of before.
think I might have miss-spelt the name of the rose. It should be Old Blush!
I have a new Buddleia called Adonis Blue. Looking forward to seeing it come into its own next year. It bloomed very late into the season.
Does it have nice foliage, I need more Buddleia as they don’t die in the drought.
I’m very envious of you folks who can garden year-round. Our gardens here in the northern U.S. are dormant pretty much from mid-November through mid-March. That makes it more fun to visit you virtually! That floral arrangement is lovely!
Ah, but my garden is dormant in August! When it is too hot to want to be outside and the plants want to hibernate too.
It’s incredible you have such summery flowers still. It’s been very mild here and a few spring flowers have been confused. I’m excited to see my winter honeysuckle is about to bloom.
It is nice to have ‘summer’ for a little longer. My honeysuckle shows no sign at all of flowering, but it is often later in the winter that it flowers.
Silver and pink is a beautiful combination. All we have here is a lot of unseasonable snow and cold temperatures.in the 20s F.
It will, at least, be great to see your snowy photos!
Really pretty, I must try and join in with this, if for no other reason than I need to learn to actually cut the occasional flower if I am to have a productive cut flower patch…
I know you hate cutting flowers as much as me, but it is a good exercise, I’m not sure I’ll have time for a couple of weeks but after that I’m going to try every week, probably a lot of dried seed heads for a while!
I think the lone Knautia is a nice touch. I have a knautia too and they always strike me as quite cheeky flowers with a sense of humour. Striking out alone in a vase would make a knautia smile!!
Your comment made me smile too
What a gorgeous vase…I will remember this meme when we finally get flowers in spring.